Winter care of Citrus

1. Check foliage--if not deep green, add fertilizer. Contrary to advice given for years, well-fertilized trees are healthier and more resistant to cold weather damage. Even if new growth is produced in the fall, and then is damaged by frost, overall the tree is healthier.

2. Control pests: scale or aphids found on the trunk or foliage can be controlled with a sharp blast of plain water, or use 2% solution of M-Pede (Safer's Soap) or 1% horticultural oil.

3. Wait until spring to do any major pruning. We prune every season but winter.

4. Fruit harvest:

Bearss limes are turning yellow in Nov., getting sweeter by the day.

Meyer lemons and all types of limes would be best harvested before temperatures drop to 30 - 32 degrees.

Eureka and Lisbon lemons have thicker skins and can hang on the trees without damage to 28 degrees. If you have a bumper crop, freeze some juice in ice trays and then store cubes in freezer for later use in drinks or salad dressings.

Owari Satsuma mandarins, Dancy tangerines are beginning to ripen in late November. These fruits can tolerate dips into the upper twenties without a problem. Navel oranges are best left on the trees to sweeten until January, although you will find them appearing in stores now.

Minneola tangelos begin to get their gorgeous orange-red color in early winter--but they won't be sweet until March or April!

5. Potential cold damage is a combination of temperature(how cold) and time (for how long). Brief dips to the mid 20's will not damage most citrus. Prolonged temperatures in the teens caused much damage in 1990 and 1998.

Microclimates can be sought in looking for planting sites. Reflected or retained heat from warm walls or cement walks will provide additional protection. Fences or walls will prevent additional stress from cold winter winds.

Limes and lemons are the most sensitive, needing some winter protection in colder locales. Other citrus are fairly hardy once established.

6. Frost and freeze protection tips:

There is no need to panic with a few hours of temperatures in the high 20's. The Christmas lights and anti-transpirants do wonders in the low twenties, and help prevent severe damage in the rare occasions when temperatures are in the teens.

Four Winds Dwarf Citrus--listed in order of cold-hardiness:

Kumquats*--can tolerate low 20's

Owari Satsuma mandarin

Minneola tangelo

Navel oranges

Blood oranges

Clementine mandarins

Grapefruit

Spring/summer ripening oranges--Trovita, Lane Late, Valencia

Spring/summer ripening mandarins--Kinnow, Kara, Murcott

Lisbon lemon

Eureka lemon

Meyer lemon

Calamondin

Bearss lime

Limequat

Mexican lime--will drop foliage at 32 degrees.

Note: Meyers are either cutting grown (advantageous for cold locations because they will come back from the roots in case of severe freeze) or grafted (advantageous for resistance to fungal root disease).

[*Don's note: at 16 degrees in 1990, all of the fruit on my kumquat froze and dropped, but the foliage was undamaged. A Navel orange 20' away was 3/4 killed.]

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